Interludes of a Kingdom
by KuroTenshi1
Summary: Short stories for my Darius Chiba multi-fics that I wanted to put in the main stories but couldn't figure out how. Spans from Little Prince to Becoming A King.


A/N: This takes place two years after the end of A Prince's Court. Thus it contains Spoilers and All that. If you don't care about spoilers, read on.

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><p><strong>My Father's Friend<strong>

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><p>It had only been two years since his father had passed and Darius was alone at the moment with his thoughts. Two years and already it seemed the world had moved on while the prince was still trying to come to terms with it. In a way he hated himself for such a weakness but he couldn't help it.<p>

Right now, Kunzite had taken over most of the king's duties spreading it out to the rest of the Shitennou much like Minako had with the Senshi about the queen's duties.

He shuts his eyes thinking about his mother and sisters wondering if they were doing as he had been. Pretending that everything was alright when really it wasn't.

Breathing out, the crown prince walks out into the night air on one of the platforms that was located on top of one of the crystal spikes. It was true, most things were on the inside of the crystal palace and were much like a city within a city. But even the Crystal palace needed ventilation on a massive scale as well.

Standing there, as the wind carried with it the scent of winter that was to come, Darius pulls his coat tighter around him and just stares out over the city and to the stars.

For a moment, he saw nothing but the faint traces of light that could be made out over the city lights, but something was moving among them at a faster pace. He took the notice of it for a moment as he thought it was nothing more than a plane or something of that sort. Perhaps a satellite that drifted too close too Earth.

That was until he noticed it was zigzagging and heading towards the palace.

As if transfixed, he couldn't move from his spot staring at the strange light that was coming for him until it winked out of sight. He steps forward, blinking at the strangeness of it all and shaking his head.

"I should sleep more." He said to himself and moves to leave when he stops seeing a brown haired male wearing a black short sleeved shirt, brown pants and brown shoes. He had curious slanted eyes that Darius had never seen before. "Who..are you?"

For a moment the male said nothing but merely stares at the prince for a while longer. "Mamoru.." He said looking around, "I've come to see Mamoru."

"Mamoru..?" Darius's brow wrinkles, "How do you know my father's name?"

"Your father?" He seemed genuinely surprised, "Has it been so long that he's had a family and his children have grown?" There was an odd tone to his voice that Darius couldn't quite place. "Where is he?"

Unsure of giving him everything, Darius decided to try and figure out who this man was first. "I can't tell you unless you tell me who you are."

The slate-blue eyed man pauses for a moment torn between wanting answers and wanting to say something else. Finally he said, "I'm Fiore. Mamoru and I were childhood friends."

"I've never heard of you." It was true, his father never really spoke much about his childhood and no one ever bothered to mention it before.

"I suppose not." There was a sad smile to his face, "I only came because I've found the perfect flower for him. I promised I would bring it to him."

Darius worries his lower lip for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, Fiore, but my father died two years ago."

Watching him, Darius could see that it was a terrible blow to the man as those slate blue eyes welled up with tears that fell unchecked to the ground. He could see the denial- he himself had gone through much the same thing. Though the prince gasps softly as the man turns from him and his form seemed to change into something that was entirely alien.

Pale green skin, dark blue uniform with a strange vest- that's the only way he could describe it- and long aqua-blue hair with pointy ears peaking out between the hairs.

This was truly the first time Darius had met something more alien than before. Sure the people of Kinmoku were aliens but they looked so much like the people of Earth that one wouldn't even think about them like that. But Fiore's form left little doubt of it.

"Can..can I see him?" The broken voice snaps Darius back to reality as Fiore turns towards him. "Please. I..I at least.."

How could he say no to that? He moves over towards the taller male and offers his hand to him, "Alright. I'll show you the grave site."

It was rather surreal to lead him down into the palace, where most were sleeping as it was the middle of the night. For that, he was grateful as he lead the way towards the Golden Door that lead to Elysion. He had explained to Fiore- in summary- what happened to his father and how he died.

Fiore could only smile with a touch of bitterness, "He's always been that way." He said to the prince, "Mamoru...always tries to help people when they need it."

Darius watches him for a moment before opening the door, "They put his ashes in the hall of Kings. That's where every ruler of Earth is buried."

Fiore could only take in the beautiful scenery of Elysion, wondering how such a place could fit inside of the Palace he had flown over. It almost didn't make sense, until he realized that to others he made no sense at all as well.

Still, the pair wandered on to the Shrine and down into the place where many did not travel. Down they went, down the spiraling stairs that were lit by torches giving it an archaic feel as they came to the bottom of the steps and to a set of doors that were decorated in gold.

"This is the Hall of Kings." Darius said unnecessarily before finally letting the man's hand go- he almost hadn't noticed he still held it- to go push open the doors. "I think it's the last one at the end."

"You think?" Fiore glances at him, "Haven't you visited him before?"

Darius swallows a little, letting his bangs slide forward to hide his eyes, "No. This would be the first time I've ever been down here since the funeral."

He jumps slightly feeling the hand at his back and glances up at Fiore with questioning eyes.

"Lets both go see him." Fiore told him and both started walking into the long corridor that was filled with markers and statues of the dead.

Normally such a scene like this would have given Darius the creeps, but somehow it didn't seem that way. He kept stealing looks at the alien, curious to know how his father had met such a person. Why had Fiore made such a promise to his father?

Though all the questions came to a halt as they finally found themselves before the newest addition to the hall.

It was scary how life-like the statue of his father was. Almost as if you could touch it and expect it to be warm.

Darius couldn't help wishing for it to actually move and take on his father's mannerisms and voice. If only to help ease the ache that had started again that he hadn't been aware of until now.

He blinks several times, as if to banish the stinging of tears away and remembered why he never came back. He didn't want to be reminded of what he had lost.

Beside him, Fiore had become still as the statue they were gazing at. Silence reigned until the alien spoke up again.

"Your father," He began, "Your father saved me when we were both children. I had fallen to this planet without any real knowledge of who I was or where I came from. He was like me. Neither of us really knew anything about ourselves so, perhaps that is why we were drawn together." There was a soft smile to that as Fiore's eyes seemed focused on a distant past. "Maybe that's why I even came here. Either way, I couldn't stay. I was becoming ill and weak the longer I stayed on Earth, but I didn't want to part with him."

Darius had turned his head to watch him as he told the story. He was simply amazed, to be honest. His father had met Fiore as a child and Had given him a rose as a parting gift.

"That's why I promised I would return with flowers for him." Fiore said.

There was more to that, of course. The story was long, yet Darius didn't mind listening to Fiore as he told him everything. From returning to meet Mamoru again to the Xenian's manipulation. How he felt when he saw that Mamoru didn't remember him and was with Darius's Mother. How they did battle on an asteroid that was set to hit earth and when his father had saved his mother by using the very same flower that had been given to Fiore.

"I felt betrayed." Fiore had told him, "He chose this girl over me. Me, who shared so much with him."

The prince didn't interrupt as the story was coming to an end. He had a new respect for both of them- his father and Fiore. To go through so much, yet they were still friends, even now when his father was no longer there.

Though, Darius wondered if Fiore had been in love with his father and his father had been aware of that. He decided that if it was so, it must be even harder for the man next to him to know that his father was gone.

Suddenly, Fiore leans against the statue of Endymion, his body shaking as he tries to gasp for some air.

"What's wrong?" Darius moves closer to help, alarmed at the sudden movement, "Are you sick?"

"No, it just means my time is up here." Fiore told him with a shaky smile, "I should go. I used up too much of my energy to get here and wear that disguise."

Nodding, the blonde casts one last look at the statue before helping Fiore back up to where they had been.

Once there, Fiore breathes softly before looking at the prince for a while longer. "I never asked what your name was."

"Darius." He replies, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry for you to have to go through this."

Fiore shook his head, "No, it's alright. Mamoru and I have always been this way. Always just meeting for a brief moment before we have to part." Fiore glances down at his hand and a beautiful flower appears before he hands it to Darius. "I cannot give it to him, but I can give it to you as a sign of thanks. Thank you for letting me see him."

The flower was actually several tiny blue flowers on a stem. Darius recognized it as 'forget-me-not'. A flower with several meanings, but mainly meant '_remember me forever_'.

He looks up at Fiore before giving into the urge to hug him tightly, "Come back again." He said and really meant it, "I think my sisters would love to really meet and talk with you, Fiore."

Fiore froze for a moment before smiling himself and returning the hug. He supposed Mamoru was still there somewhere, even if he existed still in this boy. Eventually he lets the blonde go and nods slightly, "I'll come again, someday. "

"I'll be waiting." Darius told him with a smile, "With flowers for you this time."

Fiore only blinks at the sudden emotion but nods before turning to leave, "Til then, Darius."

Then, like that, Darius was alone once more on the platform with the wind carrying the scent of winter and it's biting chill.

Yet the crown prince of Earth barely noticed it as his eyes were looking heavenward with tiny blue flowers in his hand, waiting for the day his father's friend would return again.


End file.
